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This week we return to one of our first episodes of the podcast, a time when we were focusing on how different narrative genres are represented in video games. A focus on combat seems a reasonable enough one in beginning an exploration of the specific types of stories told in games. After all, given gaming’s tendency towards competitiveness rather than co-operation, many modern games find the battlefield an apt enough place to tell stories.

This podcast was hosted by Rick Dakan, and included Moving Pixels contributors, G. Christopher Williams, Nick Dinicola, and Thomas Cross.

Dungeons & Dragons might be its low tech form, but video games have not strayed far from the formula of getting some friends together, killing some monsters, and collecting loot. From Gauntlet to Diablo to Torchlight, the hack and slash game is an experience both social and individualistic, steeped ironically in both greed and co-operation.

Following up on our discussion from last week of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this week we discuss that game’s follow up A Machine for Pigs.

Machine for Pigs was handed off from Frictional Games to The Chinese Room. As a result, we consider how the new developer handles a classic property and reconsiders what kind of horror the Amnesia franchise can offer.